


The Miraculous Apprentices

by orphan_account



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Human, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-16
Updated: 2016-03-19
Packaged: 2018-05-27 02:50:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6266551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marinette is a magician's apprentice, working under the great Tikki. While working on achieving her own mastery, she has to compete with the wily Chat Noir and discover the mystery of Hawkmoth, the only magician to win mastery on his first attempt.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know if this exact AU has been done in this fandom yet, but I thought it would be fun. If you read my coffee shop AU for Lunar Chronicles, I'm super sorry that's on indefinite hiatus. 
> 
> Fantasy is more my genre and I'm currently totally obsessed with MLB! If you like what I'm doing, let me know. If something seems off, let me know! I'm all about constructive criticism, and to be honest, I'm publishing rough drafts of chapters. If I went through and edited, I would never post anything.

“Tikki? Are you here?” Marinette glanced cautiously around the  small home, wondering where her mentor could be hiding. “Hello?”

When there was no immediate response, Marinette set her enchanted yo-yo on the round table by the door and walked over to the most comfortable arm chair. With a sigh, she collapsed into the poorly-patterned piece of furniture. It had been a long day. Yes, she’d won the client, but she’d expended all of her magic doing so. 

“Marinette?” Tikki poked her head through the kitchen window. “Did you get the case?”

“Yes, but barely. Chat Noir is up to his usual tricks.”

Tikki wrinkled her nose and disappeared again. Mostly likely to her garden, as that was the only thing directly below the window she’d appeared from. Tikki liked to say that a magician without a proper garden didn’t really understand magic, but Marinette had trouble seeing how a bunch of lilies impacted her ability to perform charms. She never argued though; Tikki had been about to retire when she’d picked Marinette as her student.

“So, that means your two away from qualifying this year.” Tikki walked through the front door with all the grace of a high ranking magician. Her dirt covered clothes and frizzy red hair made it hard to believe, though.

“Chat Noir’s only one away,” Marinette protested, very much aware of how whiny she sounded. 

“Chat Noir is a fool. He chose the wrong magician to be apprentice to. Plagg is only concerned with his image. He teaches nothing but destruction magic and that will prove his undoing.”

Over the last two years as Tikki’s apprentice Marinette had heard this story about three thousand times -- Plagg was a reckless magician, Tikki didn’t know how he won his master rank, he was unworthy of the magic he possessed, and his apprentices rarely amounted to anything more than parlor entertainers. It took a lot not to smirk when Marinette heard her teacher fall back to her old rant, but she’d learn to control that urge. Tikki thought it was demeaning, and Marinette didn’t like hurting anyone’s feelings.

“I just want to beat him. I want to win the master ranking this year. It’s so hard to be “Ladybug” and win jobs when I wouldn’t have any trouble asking as me!” Marinette slouched even further into the seat, letting the moth-ball smelling upholstery absorb her.

“Winning the master ranking this year would be very impressive indeed, considering it’s the first year you’ll be eligible. Not even  _ I  _ did that.”

“Hawkmoth did.”

Tikki visibly twitched then went to her small kitchen without a word. Marinette had crossed a line and she felt vaguely bad about it. Hawkmoth was easily the most despised of all the magicians. His very existence made it difficult for the others to prove that they were not in the business of dark magic. Apparently, once he’d won his mastery, Hawkmoth had used his magic to manipulate the people around him, allowing him to rise in the political ranks. No one even knew who he was before Hawkmoth anymore. Most magician’s apprentices returned to their regular names once they won mastery, but he had not. Hiding behind his mask and magic, he was an unspoken terror. No one could  prove he did the things he did, so they had to remain silent while his reign of terror continued.

“If I win, I’ll use my magic to stop him,” Marinette offered, joining Tikki in the kitchen. 

“Your magic has a long way to go before you can stop him.”

“Well, I’ve been working on my yo-yo…”

Tikki set her kettle on the counter instead of the stove top and raised an eyebrow at her pupil. Marinette smiled as widely as she could in an attempt to calm any anxiety Tikki might be feeling.

“Well, I heard this rumor from some of the other apprentices that Hawkmoth curses butterflies and they spread chaos.”

“That’s been a rumor for a very long time.” Tikki put the kettle on and turned the heat up on the burner. She’d always used magic to heat water when Marinette had first started learning, but the years were creeping up on her and magic, even small amounts, used a lot of energy.

“So I thought if I could put some kind of purifying magic in my yo-yo, I could cleanse them if I run into them.”

“That’s not a bad idea. How do you know what a chaos butterfly looks like?”

Marinette shrugged.

“So, you’re going to just hit every butterfly you see with your magic cleansing yo-yo?”

“I guess not.” Marinette’s shoulders fell forward.

“Please don’t look like that.” Tikki patted the top of her head. “It’s a very good idea, just difficult to execute. We can start working on a detector too, for impure magic. And, maybe a compartment to store the cursed butterflies until they’re purified. It would be more efficient, from a magic standpoint, than just trying to do a quick-contact healing.”

“Thank you Tikki!” Marinette threw her arms around Tikki’s shoulders and hugged them tightly. “I’m so glad you didn’t retire.”

“How could I? I had to teach the magician who will take down Hawkmoth.” Tikki laughed and grabbed Marinette’s shoulders, pushing her away. “Now, you need to get home before your parents start to worry. And remember--”

“I know, I know. Don’t drop my transformation until just before I exit the woods. Can’t give away my identity.”

“You’ll be disqualified if you do.”

Marinette and Tikki hugged one last time before the apprentice ducked out of the ancient front door. She was halfway back to town when she heard a rustling in the trees. She sighed, knowing only one person who would follow her so loudly.

“Hello Chat.”

“Good evening, m’lady.” Chat Noir dropped from a tree in front of her into a sweeping bow.

Even though he drove her nuts, Marinette had to admit that he’d put together an impressive disguise. His all black suit was so well cut that the tail and ears that he’d added to make himself more “cat like” almost looked natural. The fact that he’d opted for a large cat bell instead of a bow tie was almost endearing. Too bad her disguise was so much better.

“Be careful, cats get stuck in trees all the time.” Marinette smirked. “They have a bad habit of not knowing their own limits.”

“Ah, come on Miss Ladybug.” He stayed a few steps behind her as she attempted to walk away. “We could be partners you know. Go into the final mastery testing together. We’d be like Plagg and Tikki.”

“Plagg and Tikki don’t even speak to each other anymore,” she reminded with a raised eyebrow.

“Fine, we could be like Plagg and Tikki in their prime. Everyone talks about how they saved the town all the time and how life was so much better.”

“It was better because Hawkmoth was an apprentice and not causing chaos.”

“See? We could pass our mastery together and take down Hawkmoth.”

“I can do that by myself.”

Chat Noir grabbed her wrist, forcing her to stop and give him a disapproving look. This was very inappropriate, not to mention overtly rude.

“Ladybug, this is serious. Plagg… He doesn’t seem he has a long time left. I’m betting Tikki is looking about the same. Being a solo magician--”

“I knew the risks when I competed for this apprenticeship. Didn’t you?” Very gently, she pulled her wrist out of his grasp. She had to be careful, his gloves had claws.

“Of course I did. I just don’t see the point of killing ourselves when we could do it together.”

A cold breeze rushed through the woods, ruffling her skirts and whipping his tail as it passed. Out of the corner of her eye, Marinette spotted a butterfly that looked as if it was pure black. A shiver ran down her spine and she looked into Chat Noir’s disturbingly green eyes.

“Get your tasks completed, and we’ll talk again.”

He nodded and she hoped it was because he saw the butterfly too, or at least felt the odd disturbance it brought with her. After bowing one last time, Chat Noir disappeared into the trees. Marinette waited until she could not longer hear him jumping through the branches before tapping her earrings twice. Her red and black clothing faded into her regular pink, white, and black dress and she stepped into town, confident her secret was still safe.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm excited that I'm already getting some positive feedback! Thank you everyone who's commented and kudo'd! I really appreciate it. Thanks to everyone that's read it but hasn't had time to do either of those things! I'm glad I'm not the only one that likes my silly little AU :)

Other apprentices had it easier than Marinette did. At least, that’s what she told herself when she woke up before dawn every morning to help her parents before running out the woods to learn how to use magic. This morning was no different as she stumbled into her clothes for the day. She grabbed an apron off of the hook beside her door before walking downstairs to join her parents.

As Marinette finished tying her apron strings, she realized her father was not alone in the bakery. She pressed herself against the wall and tried to remain unnoticed.

Gabriel Agreste, better known as Hawkmoth, strolled through the bakery while her father watched with narrowed eyes. Marinette gripped her apron in her hands, furious at the nerve of the magician. The bakery wasn’t even due to open for another two hours and there he was, acting like he owned the place. She could see the strain in her father’s shoulders; he was normally a little hunched from years of kneading dough, but now he was standing straighter than any normal person would.

“Can I help you Mr. Agreste?” Tom Dupain’s voice sounded like his throat was stretched tight.

“Please, call me Hawkmoth.” Gabriel -- Marinette refused to acknowledge him by his prefered title now -- strolled around the store, which was empty. The Dupain-Cheng bakery donated the small amount of leftover bread at the end of the day.

“Alright.” Dupain cleared his throat. “How can I help you, Mr. Hawkmoth?”

“I’ve found myself in a very unique position.” Agreste continued his casual stroll around the bakery, running his finger along the empty shelves. “I’m a bit late to the game, but I was wondering if you daughter had expressed any interest in becoming a magician. I’m looking for an apprentice.”

“You should know that anyone studying magic doesn’t divulge that with their parents. The secrecy of apprenticeships is to help preserve the integrity of magic. So, even if my daughter were interested and without a master, she could not go to you now that you’ve showed public interest.”

“Besides, I want to be a baker like my Papa.” Marinette put on her widest, fakest smile and stepped out of the shadows to stand beside her father. “Magic seems far too complicated for me. I like the structure of baking.”

Marinette grinned up at her dad when he put his arm around her shoulders.

“I’m sorry to have wasted your time, Mr. Hawkmoth, but I want to support my daughter’s choices.”

“Very well. I understand your need for discretion. Perhaps next year she will change her mind.”

Marinette frowned and resisted the urge to remind Agreste that she was, in fact, standing right in front of him and he should have been speaking directly to her. There was something just unnerving enough about him to keep her silent, though.

“Have a nice day.” Her father nodded in a firm way that suggested the conversation was over.

“You as well.” Agreste stopped after opening the door. “This is such a quaint little place. I hope nothing unfortunate occurs.”

With no other comment, the magician left, letting the door slam loudly behind him. Mr. Dupain relaxed his shoulders and released his grip on Marinette’s shoulders. With a sigh he went back to working on the pastries for the day. Marinette took her place beside him.

“Where’s Mama?” She grabbed a bowl and started mixing the dry ingredients for baguettes since her father had already started activating yeast.

“Still asleep. She isn’t feeling well.” He worked on his own loaf, most likely something whole grain judging by the color. “Be careful around that man.”

“I don’t interact with him.”

“That doesn’t mean he won’t seek you out. Just, be cautious.” He finished forming the loaf and gently placed it in a pan for one final rise.

“Don’t worry Papa. I’ll be safe.”

 

____________________________________________

 

Halfway through the woods Marinette tapped her earrings to conjure up her Ladybug costume. While Chat Noir may look slick, Ladybug was the pinnacle of high fashion. Her skirts were full, gathered high in the front and cascading down in the back. She had a pair of sturdy leggings and boots that were both fashionable and functional. Her blouse looked corseted without making it difficult to breath, and the poofy sleeves were actually reinforced, protecting her from injury. To finish it off, she’d constructed a bright red fascinator with a black lace netting that covered her eyes without blocking her vision. It was perfect, and she was proud of it.

Tikki wasn’t in the garden when Marinette arrived which was a little odd, but not unheard of. So, in an effort to be polite, Marinette knocked lightly on the front door before opening it.

“LOOK OUT!”

She barely had time to dodge as her own enchanted yo-yo flew at her head. Well, it flew at a butterfly that happened to be hovering near her head when she opened the door. Luckily, she’d become a pro at ducking and moved out of the way with ease.

“I thought you wanted to me to modify it myself?” Marinette straightened as the yo-yo flew back into Tikki’s hands.

The older woman shrugged.

“I think the magic was a little beyond you. Here.” She tossed her apprentice the yo-yo with a smile that tugged more at one corner of her mouth than the other.

“What did you do to it?” The weight felt a little off, but it still looked the same. Marinette bounced it in her hands a few time to adjust to it.

“Something I’ll teach you later. Try sliding your finger across the top.”

With one eyebrow raised Marinette obeyed. She ran her index finger along the top of the yo-yo and watched the hard case dissolve into a glowing white light. She stared at it with wide, unblinking eyes.

“Tikki..?” Any other words were lost. She now possessed a magical item beyond her own skill level. If it worked properly, it would put even Chat Noir’s famous “Cataclysm” claws to shame.

“Unfortunately I don’t have any of those creepy butterflies to test it on, so I’ve just been catching regular ones.” The magician gestured to the butterflies hiding along the walls, trying to stay still. “It catches them, but we won’t know if it purifies them until we actually try it.”

Marinette hooked the string to her hand and swung her yo-yo in a wide arc, easily catching one of the butterflies that had been foolish enough to move. After it was absorbed into the light, a quick flick of her wrist brought her weapon back to her. The captured butterfly sat perfectly still in its bed of light.

“Tap it to free it.”

She did, gently tapping the edge in case she could break through whatever magic held the insect in place. The butterfly flew away slowly, like it was drugged or perhaps weary it would find itself in another trap.

“Bye bye little butterfly.” Marinette giggled at her own silliness. 

“I’m glad you like it.”

Master and apprentice smiled at each other for a brief moment before a pounding at the door pulled them out of their peace. Tikki cocked an eyebrow but went to answer it. Standing outside was Chat Noir, panting, his fancy clothes dirty and disheveled. 

“Chat?” Marinette ran forward. A sense of dread spread over her with every step, like she was walking into a cold pond until it enveloped her head. “What happened?”

“There’s a fire.” He leaned against the doorframe, catching his breath. “In town. The bakery and two other homes have gone up.”

Marinette was out the door, pushing him aside before Tikki could even react. Her yo-yo was tight in her hand, already strung and ready to go. Light footsteps beside her told her Chat Noir was keeping pace. She threw her yo-yo forward, catching it on a tree and launching herself into the air.

_ He can keep up _ , she told herself as she flew through the trees.  _ I can’t wait for him if he’s not able to. _

When she landed in front of the tree line the dapper cat was there beside her. She looked in horror at her parents’ silhouettes against the large frames that ate away their livelihood. She could see other flames out of the corner of her eyes but her focus was on her own home. 

Then she saw it, hovering right above her parents: the black butterfly.

“Chat.” Her voice was hardly a whisper. “Do you remember your offer to work together?”

“Yeah.”

“Is that still available?”

Chat smirked

“For you, m’lady, of course.”


End file.
